1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices which automatically discharge a fragrance into an enclosed area. The invention relates more particularly to an improved form of fragrance device which is actuated by an artificial light source.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices are known in the art which are adapted to discharge fragrances into an enclosed area. These devices comprise a housing containing a material which emits a fragrance and a means for flowing air over the fragrant material. In a convection air current arrangement, the housing is apertured and room convection currents flow through the device and carry the fragrance to the room. In a powered fan form of device, an electric motor and fan in the housing cause air to flow over the device and establish an air stream through the device. In the latter case, a source of electric power must be provided and a switching means is required to enable selective application of power to the device. A service voltage is used as a source of electrical power in one form of powered fan device. The application of electric power is selectively supplied to the device and is interrupted as the need arises. Electrical wire connections between the service voltage and device limit placement of the device in a room and detracts from its appearance. Moreover, a failure to manually turn off the device results in over scenting of the area and rapid depletion of the fragrant material thus necesitating frequent maintenance and increasing the cost of operating the device. While battery operated devices obviate the need for electrical wire coupling between the source and the device, the batteries must supply the relatively heavy current requirements of an electric motor and are thus subject to rapid depletion unless the device is consistently turned on and off. Each of the foregoing arrangements suffers further from the continuous delivery of a fragrance into the room when the room may not be in use, a form of operation which is relatively wasteful and inefficient and results in overscenting of the room and rapid depletion of the fragrant material.
In an attempt to correct some of these deficiencies, it has been proposed to condition the operation of the device on the energization of an artificial light source in the area. By this technique, the device is actuated when an artificial light source in the area is energized. This will be the case, for example, in a bathroom in which a person entering switches on and energizes an overhead or wall lamp. As the lamp is energized, the fragrance device detects the artificial light and causes a forced flow discharge of the fragrance into the room. A known form of device has utilized solar cells which derive energy from the light of an artificial light source for operating a motor of the device. However, the state of the art of present day solar cells is such that the solar cells must be mounted directly to the light fixture itself in order to capture sufficient light energy to generate electrical energy for operating the fan motor. This is often cumbersome and necessitates modification of the fixture itself. In addition, unless the housing of the fragrance device is mounted to the light fixture, then an electrical wire coupling is required between the solar cells and the device, a requirement which limits placement of the device in a room and detracts from its appearance. Moreover, solar cells also respond to ambient sunlight, they continuously supply an output voltage, and they require a voltage control circuit to avoid actuating the device when not selectively enabled.
In addition to the foregoing disadvantages of prior art fragrance devices, these arrangements have exhibited a tendancy to quickly deplete the fragrance material, simply as a result of the continuous flow of convection currents through the device. Of necessity, an air flow path must be provided in the device in order that air may flow over the fragment material and carry the scent from the device into the room. But convection currents deplete the material more rapidly than is desired and frequent maintenance is necessitated. In addition, those fragrance devices which are actuated by the energization of an artificial light source may exhibit erratic operation in rooms which are also exposed both to artificial light and to natural daylight, such as would occur with a room having a window. In battery operated devices which respond to energization of an artificial light source, it is necessary to carefully adjust the sensitivity since the device can be activated at relatively low light levels, such as may be produced by ambient light thus resulting in undesired energization of the device and rapid depletion of the fragrance material.